Cargo carriers, portable hammock supports, and the like are well known for outdoor recreational use. However, known designs for cargo carriers and portable hammock supports suffer from various deficiencies, namely the lack of convenience, ease, and efficiency for multifunctional use.
For example, it is often difficult to find a suitable solution for addressing the efficiency and convenience of transporting outdoor recreational cargo, a safe suitable means for sleeping at a campsite, and a means for cooking while outdoors. For example, some campsite grounds are not suitable for sleeping because the ground is rocky or wet. In some instances when camping, sleeping higher is more enjoyable. The present solution eliminates the need for natural supports, thus solving the problem of finding a suitable location to hang one's hammock for sleeping outdoors. The present invention is also a multifunctional platform that combines the transport of necessary items needed for camping such as carrying cargo to haul camping gear, providing a charcoal grill for cooking, and providing means for hanging an apparatus needed for safely sleeping, such as a hammock.
A number of solutions have attempted to address the above problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,759 provides a convertible hammock for a vehicle or ground stand, however, the '759 apparatus does not provide for a single multifunctional apparatus that converts to transport cargo, provides a means for cooking, and provides a means for supporting a hammock for sleeping.
Other known solutions to the problem provide for a transportable means for cooking such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,404 which provides for a swingable apparatus which can be attachable to a vehicle for transporting a grill (cooking device). However, the '404 apparatus does not provide for a single apparatus that converts to transport cargo, provides a means for cooking, and provides a means for supporting hammock for sleeping. Further, the apparatus of the '404 patent is rather bulky to transport.
Consequently, there is a need for a convertible cargo carrier and hammock assembly apparatus that eliminates the need for natural supports to support a hammock, and further combines the necessary items for camping in a convenient, affordable, easy to assemble, multi-use tool. The present invention meets these needs and provides the added benefit that camping set up is much simplified, the invention can be used on a variety of vehicles (most any vehicle having a tubular open-ended, rearwardly extending hitch-receiver), and the modular design makes camping quick and easy.